Five anti-depredation camps established to curb human-elephant conflict: Animesh

The forest department has set up five anti-depredation camps in Khowai district, launched a 24-hour helpline and dug trenches along nearly 9 km to mitigate human-elephant conflict, Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma said on Saturday.

The minister announced the measures while inaugurating the state-level 77th Van Mahotsav at Chitrangada Kala Kendra in Teliamura. He also virtually inaugurated the five anti-depredation camps established at Maiganga, North Krishnapur, Chakmaghat, Ghilatali and East Laxmipur under Teliamura subdivision.

Addressing the gathering, Debbarma said, “The state government has intensified efforts to reduce human-elephant conflict in vulnerable areas by strengthening field-level infrastructure and response mechanisms.”

He said trenches have been dug along nearly 9 km to prevent wild elephants from entering human habitations, while a round-the-clock helpline has been introduced to assist villagers in areas affected by elephant movement.

The minister said protecting forests was essential for conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance, adding that planting saplings alone was not enough unless they were properly nurtured.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign, Debbarma said it had given fresh impetus to afforestation across the country. He said around 20 lakh saplings were planted in Tripura last year.

The minister said the Forest Department was implementing several forest-based development programmes, including projects supported under the Integrated Green Development Programme (IGDP) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), alongside livelihood generation initiatives linked to forest conservation.

Chief Whip of the Tripura Legislative Assembly and Teliamura MLA Kalyani Saha Roy, who attended the programme as the chief guest, called for turning tree plantation into a mass movement.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R.K. Samal delivered the welcome address. Revolving fund cheques were distributed to five self-help groups from Mungiakami, while Joint Forest Management Committees, organisations and individuals were felicitated for their contributions to forest conservation. Winners of the state-level photography competition organised on the International Day for Biological Diversity 2026 were also honoured.

The programme was attended by MLA Pinaki Das Chowdhury, Khowai Zilla Parishad Vice-Chairman Satyendra Chandra Das, Teliamura Municipal Council Chairperson Rupak Sarkar, Teliamura Panchayat Samiti Chairperson Dipa Deb, Khowai District Magistrate Rajat Pant, Chief Conservator of Forests (Territorial) K. Shashi Kumar, District Forest Officer Ashok Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police Justin Joseph and other officials.

As part of the celebrations, the Forest Department distributed free saplings among participants and 16 exhibition stalls set up by government departments and self-help groups showcased various conservation and livelihood initiatives.